He played a small but significant role as Mann Singh in Shekhar Kapur's Bandit Queen (1994). Almost 25 years later, Manoj Bajpayee found himself treading on familiar territory again — the actor is seen as a dacoit in Abhishek Chaubey's Sonchiriya that harks back to the '70s when thugs wreaked havoc in the heartland of India. The film's recently-released teaser won appreciation from fans who lauded Chaubey for his choice of the gritty drama.

On his part, Bajpayee, too, heaps praise on the director for presenting stories through an unvarnished lens. "I admire Abhishek Chaubey's story telling and his potential to make characters so believable on screen," says the actor, who shares screen space with Sushant Singh Rajput and Bhumi Pednekar in the film.